Miami Shipping Company Royal Caribbean It announced on Friday that it is canceling four tracks cruise ships, until April, due to the rise in pandemic From COVID-19 that caused casualties on all ships operating in United State.
It is the second company forced to have these suspensions, after Norwegian, both of which are headquartered in Miami.
Royal Caribbean noted that the decision was made “as a result of the current circumstances related to COVID-19 around the world.”
The ships affected are “Vision of the Seas”, “Jewel of the Seas”, “Symphony of the Seas” and “Serenade of the Seas”, the latter until April 26.
He specified that the “Vision of the Seas” did not sail with passengers and was scheduled to resume cruises on January 24 from Fort Lauderdale.
According to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Center for Disease Control, in English), All cruise ships operating in the country with passengers on board, about a hundred, are under investigation after infections were reported on board last week.
“We know how much time and effort went into planning your vacation, and regret the impact on your plans,” Michael Bailey, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, wrote in an email to passengers.
The Norwegian company announced last Wednesday the cancellation and modification of eight planned routes, some of them until next April.
Last Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised travel advisories for cruise ships to the highest level and urged avoidance of such ships, and even people who have been vaccinated.
They asked travelers at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 to avoid travel on cruise ships, including river, around the world, “regardless of vaccination status.”
At least 94 ships are on a “yellow” alert status from the CDC because in the past seven days at least 0.10% of passengers have had COVID-19 infection or symptoms of the virus (for example, if it’s 6,500 passengers On board there are at least 7 of those cases).
For its part, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 90% of companies with ocean cruises, called the CDC’s decision to increase the alert level for cruises “alarming.”
He pointed out that the cases identified on cruise ships constitute “a very small minority of the total population on board ships, and much less than those on land, and most of these cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, and do not represent a significant burden on medical resources.” .on board or on the ground.”